No Longer Neutral
by SchroedingersKneazle
Summary: You don't need to raise a wand to duel in order to become a hero. When Larissa Greengrass learns of the ministry's plans to persecute muggle-borns, she can no longer remain neutral. One-shot.


Larissa Greengrass was sitting in her office in the Department of Magical Trade Regulation. The recent political changes were affecting her department as well, but not as directly as others. Germany had recently declared a trade embargo against Britain, because of the recently passed laws against muggle-borns, which was giving them quite a bit of extra work, but that was it.

The Greengrass family was traditionally neutral in wizarding politics. They had been neutral when Grindelwald rose to power, they had been neutral in the first wizarding war, and according to her father, they would keep their neutrality this time as well.

Larissa never had much contact with muggle-borns. Being sorted into Slytherin House, most of her classmates had been pure-bloods, with the occasional half-blood in between. But she was too clever to believe the propaganda about "stolen magic". If that was possible, why didn't pure-blood families cure their squibs by stealing the magic from some in their opinion inferior half-blood?

In any case, what did it matter to her? She was preparing for a meeting with Robert Brocklehurst from the Department of Magical Law enforcement over a group of erumpent horn smugglers. Erumpent Horn could be used to brew an extremely powerful explosive potion, and therefor trading it was very restricted.

Larissa went upstairs to the DMLE, and knocked at Brocklehurst's office door. He opened, and she stepped inside.

"Ah, Mrs. Greengrass, you wanted to talk to me because of the Erumpent horn smuggle."

"Yes, we are assuming that the smugglers are circumventing the trading ban by declaring them as "Snorkack" horns. I have no idea what a Snorkack is; they probably made that creature up just for the purpose of smuggling."

In that moment, a memo flew in. Robert quickly read it.

"Miss Greengrass, I'm sorry. Mundungus Fletcher is selling stolen artifacts again, I've got to go. I'll be back in a few minutes, I hope."

He stepped into the fireplace and vanished, leaving Larissa alone in his office. She had a quick glance around. A freshly printed list attracted her attention.

" _Mudbloods and the Dangers They Pose to a Peaceful Pure-Blood Society"_

It was a typical example of the new propaganda. Pictured on its cover was a red rose, symbolizing pure-bloods, strangled by a weed that reminded her of Devil's Snare.

She quickly flicked through it. There were the usual accusations, "stealing magic", "diluting traditional wizarding values" etc.

The only part that really caught her attention was on the last page "…in order to eliminate these threats to our society, the ministry of magic will severely punish these usurpers of magic."

Then, she put the leaflet aside. She found another document next to it:

" _Wanted For Questioning By The Muggle-Born Registration Commission"_

Apparently, it was a list of suspected muggle-borns. This was disturbing. So it was not some empty propaganda threat, but a serious plan to persecute muggle-borns. More out of curiosity than because she had a real plan, she pointed her wand at the list. _"Geminio"_

She shoved a perfect copy into her bag. In that moment, another memo came in. It was addressed to her.

 _Miss Greengrass, this takes longer than expected. It seems we're unable to catch Fletcher. We will continue our earlier discussion tomorrow._

She left Brocklehurst's office. On the way out of the DMLE, she overheard Yaxley, a known Death Eater.

"…we're taking the mudbloods to Azkaban. Serves the filth right!"

When she returned from work in the evening, she pulled out the list. Soon she found the first familiar name.

"Maisie Atkins, wanted for illegally obtaining magic" Maisie Atkins had been in Ravenclaw, top of their year.

"We're taking the mudbloods to Azkaban." Yaxley's voice was hammering inside her head. Maisie wouldn't survive a month inside there. And how many others were about to suffer the same fate?

She didn't have to look much further for the next of her classmates. Stan Bamber was wanted for "stealing magic" as well. Archie Macmillan was accused to be a blood-traitor who was hiding muggle-borns.

None of those people were close friends, but still, she was horrified imagining her former classmates locked up in Azkaban, for the only reason that they didn't fit into their new rulers' ideology.

She realized, neutrality was no longer an option. For every day she remained silent, more innocent people would be thrown into the dark cells of Azkaban, leaving the Dementors to feed on their memories, sucking every bit of happiness out of them. How could she sit there and do nothing, while innocent people were being sentenced to hell on earth?

Maisie Atkins was the only one of the muggle-borns whose address she knew. She stepped outside her apartment and disapparated.

She reappeared on the doorstep of an unremarkable muggle house. The name M. Atkins was written on the door. She rang the bell. Maisie didn't appear. Of course, it was in the middle of the night. Maisie would be asleep. Larissa pointed her wand at the bell. "Sonorus" she said, and rang again, the magically amplified bell raising Maisie from her sleep.

Maisie opened the door with her wand raised.

"Larissa! What are you doing here? And in the middle of the night?"

"We'll better discuss that inside." She said and stepped in.

"Seriously Larissa, this is not funny. Scaring me like that, especially in these times." Maisie said.

"You have every reason to be scared." Larissa answered, "But not of me. I want to help you."

"Help me? I don't need your help Greengrass." Maisie said.

"Oh you do. Do you know what the Muggle-Born Registration Commission is about?" Larissa asked.

"They want me to attend a hearing. But it's probably just for propaganda reasons they do all this blood status stuff. It can't be that horrible. They'll just make all the discrimination we've been facing anyway legal." Maisie said.

"And that's why you need my help." Larissa said. "For such a bright witch, you're remarkably naïve. The hearing is a fake. They'll send you straight to Azkaban."

"Azkaban? You can't be serious. That's for dangerous criminals! It's not like I've cast an unforgivable curse or something."

"It appears that our new rulers have different ideas about what's unforgivable. They consider being a muggle-born to be unforgivable. But I don't share these ideas. And now, I don't have much time for you, there are many more people who need to escape. Pack your things, and make sure that you get this portkey at 3 AM. It will take you straight to Calais. I'm sorry that I have no better plan, but at least you will be out of reach for the British ministry there." She took off the chain around her neck. She had never been particularly fond of it, a worthless gift by a worthless suitor. "The best idea would be to wear it, that way, you can't miss it."

She disapparated, and reappeared at Archie Macmillan's house. She rang at the door, and Archie appeared. He too had his wand raised.

"What do you want Greengrass? You ministry people have raided my house twice in the last three weeks and found nothing."

"I don't want to raid your house." She said. "I've just helped Maisie escape, but there are too many. I won't be able to do this alone. I need your help."

"Whoa!" He said. "Larissa Greengrass helping muggle-borns? What has happened to your precious neutrality?"

"There is no neutrality in this war. Remaining neutral means to tolerate what's happening. When all this is over, should I lie and say I knew nothing? That I never wondered why the muggle-borns suddenly disappeared? That I had no idea what was happening to them?"

"You impress me, Greengrass." He answered. "You're a braver person than I thought. Are you not scared?"

"Of course I'm scared. I'd be stupid if I weren't. But if we're not getting them out of the country, they'll end up in Azkaban. And I couldn't live with the knowledge that innocent people are going to that horrible place while I'm just continuing to live my comfortable life, protected by my blood-status."

 **Written for the** **The Potions Class Challenge/Competition.** **Burn-healing Paste** **\- Write about someone who metaphorical plays with fire.** **Alternatively, write about a heroic act.**


End file.
